Steam-heating apparatus.



PATENTTED DEC. s, 1907.

F. STEAM HEATING-APPARATUS PULSPORD.

flllllllllfliltsfll APPLICATION FILED JAN.10, 1906.

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, combination and arrangement of parts as UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK CHARLES PULSFORD, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT ERNEST ATKINSON, OF KNIGHTON, ENGLAND.

STEAM-HEATING- APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed January 10. 1906. Serial No. 295.407.

Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam heating apparatusand more especially to radiators wherein the supply of steam is regulated by a cut-ofi valve actuated by the difference in the expansion of two metals.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for actuating and adjusting the said cut-oil valve, and to minimize the possibility of a rupture due to negligence or to failure of the reducing valve in the steam supply pipe.

The invention consists in loosely mounting the cut-off valve on a bar or rod which on expansion closes the said cut-ofi valve on to its seat, means for adjusting the lift of the cut-off valve, and a spring interposed between the rod and cut-off valve to prevent the latter being forced with undue pressure on to its seat and the consequent injurious efiects which would result therefrom.

The invention further consists in the novel hereinafter more particularly described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a broken side elevation partly in section of aradiator constructed according to one form of this invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sectional Views of alternative constructions, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2.

In all the figures like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring to Fig. 1, 2 represents the body of an ordinary cast iron multi-tubular radiator to which steam is' supplied through a hand operated admission valve, 3, of well known construction arranged at the base or lower part of the radiator preferably in close proximity to the cirt-ofl' valve 4;. In combination with the admission valve 3, the said cut-off valve 4, by which the admission of steam to the radiator is automatically controlled, is arranged within the interior of the radiator and is supported concentrically with respect to its seat 5 formed therein by a stem 6 passing loosely through a guide or socket 7 cast integrally as shown with the lower portion of the valve casing. The said cut-off valve is carried by a piston or headed pin 8 located within one end of an expansible copper rod or tube 9 running through the hollow lower part of the radiator.

The rod or tube 9 is secured at the other end in a fixed collar or sleeve 12 carried by the radiator so that when heated by the steam it is only free to expand in the direction of the cut-off valve 4, the difference in the expansion of the copper rod 9 carrying the valves and of the cast iron radiator'carrying the valve seat being sufiioient to operate said valve. that the cut-off valve is normally open and when the tube 9 expands as aforesaid it closes the latter and cuts off the supply of steam to the radiator. The steam now in the radiator condenses and lowers the temperature of the said tube or rod 9 causing the same to contract and thereby again open the cut-off valve and so on.

As the cut-off valve is actuated by the tube or rod 9 its lift will necessarily be com paratively small so that in order to prevent any throttling of the steam at the cut-ofl valve the admission and cut-off valves are made of different diameters the ratio of which is inversely proportional to the respective lifts of the two valves, that is, the cut-off valve 4 is made of larger diameter than-the admission valve 3, the lift of which latter valve is arranged correspondingly greater than that of the cut-off valve by means of the usual hand wheel 10 and screw threaded rod '11.

The lift of the cut-off valve 4 is adjustable by hand and for this purpose the rod or tube 9 carrying the same may be madefree to rotate and to move in a longitudinal direction and the end remote from the cut-0H valve may pass through an internally screwed sleeve or collar fixed from rotation and besquared to receive a key or spanner whereby it may be rotated to adjust the lift of the cut-ofi valve. In the arrangement shown the converse to the above construction obtains, that is, the rod or tube 9 is fixed from rotation, but is free to move endwise while the screwed sleeve or collar 12 into which the end of the rod or tube 9 is screwed, is provided with a stem, 13, squared to receive a key whereby it may be rotated. The said collar or sleeve, is prevented from longitu- The parts are arranged so dinal displacement by the stuffing box and 1 off valve is carried rotatively on the screwed gland 14 and 15 so that when rotated by hand as aforesaid it pushes the rod or tube 9 forward and backward as the case may be thus decreasing or increasing the lift of the cut-H valve as will be understood. The said stem 13 is preferably fitted with an index' figure 16 moving over a fixed indicator or dial 17 arranged within a suitable casing 18 at that end of theradiator. By these means it will be seen that the amount of steam admitted into the radiator may bevaried' accurately and at will accordingly tothe temperature desired.

To avoid the injurious effects which will be caused by the expansion of the rod or tube after the cut-off valve 4 has, through ignorance or negligence, been already forced tightly up against its seat by rotating the collar 12 as aforesaid, a compression spring 19 is arranged between the piston or headed pin 8 and'a collar 20, situated withinthetube 9', so that it will yield and relieve the strain from the valve 4 and its seat 5 and prevent rupture at that or any other part of-the radiator. Again, where, owing to the failure ofthe reducing valve (not shown) in the steam supply pipe, the rod or tube 9 becomes unduly heated the fracture which would ordinari-ly result owing to the increased expanslon of the rod or tube 9 is entirely obviated by the yielding of the spring 19 situated as above described.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 2,. instead of a single expanding tube 9 being employed, two or more of such tubes are arranged concentrically with respect to each other. I These tubes-aremade of metals having a different coefficient of expansion and 1n the example shown the outer and inner tubes 9, 9 may be made of copper and the middle tube 9 of, say, iron. By this posite direction but not to such an extent,

the coefficient of expansion of iron being less than that of copper. The total, expansion therefore in. a left hand direction is equal to the sum of the expansions of the outer and inner copper tubes less the expansion of the middle iron tube in an opposite direction. By means of this multiple expansion an increased lift is obtained for the cut-off valve the diameter of which need not. now exceed that of the admission valve as will be well understood.

A slight rearrangement of the parts will also be noticed on referring to Fig. 2. The cutend of a short rod 22 the other end of which passes through a stufiing box 23 and is the sleeve 24 the compression spring. 19 is located for the purposes hereinbefore explained. The lift of the cut-off valve 4 is adjustable by hand by means of a short bar 27 one end of which takes into a square socket 28 on one side of the valve 4 and the other end passes through a stuflin box 29 and is furnished with an index inger 16 moving over a dial 17 as before. The other extremity of the bar 27 is squared. for the reception of a key or handle whereby it may be turned to rotate the cut-off valve upon the threaded end of a short rod 22 andthereby move the valve towards or away from its seat to vary the'l-ift according to the temperaturerequired.

In the modifiedconstruction shown in Fig; 3 the expanding tube 9 expands in an opposite direction (towards the left hand) to the tube 9 in Fig. 1 and in doing so moves a centrally disposed rod 21 attached thereto by a lug 30in the same direction, which rod, in

turn, and through the medium of a collar 31 thereon and a compression spring 19 closes the cut-off valve 4 on to its seat 5. The said collar is rotatable on the threadedend of the rod 31- and is formed with a square socket whereby it may be turned by the bar 27 and hand wheel 32 to vary the lift of the valve 4, the collar 31 making contact with a-flange' 33 on the valve body 4 during one direction of motion and in the opposite direction, with a spring 19 which abuts against the valve 4: as 1 shown. The hand wheel 32 is preferably fitted with a pointer or index finger 1 6 moving over a dial or indicator 17 so that the amount of lift given to the valve may be known.

To accommodate the constructions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the admission valve 3 is set out from the axis 34 of the cut-off valve at one side as shown in Fig. 4.

effected through the agency of expansion of a gas or volatile liquid contained in a collapsible chamber due to the temperature of the atmosphere it has been proposed to insert some form of yielding means between said chamber and the valve which it operates and I make no broad claim to such means; It is also well known in the case of such devices as comprise an exposed rod which on expansion due to the temperature of the atmosphere operates a valve for controlling a the source of heat to provide means whereby the said rod may be adjusted relatively to the said valve, nor do I claim such means broadly.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination a radiator, a valve casing (5) a hand operated valve (3) for admitting steam to said casing, a cut-off valve (4) for controlling the outlet of steam from said casing, a thermostatic member inside the radiator and connected to said cut-off valve (4:), and yielding means between said member and the cut-off valve, the steam admission and cut-ofi valves having the ratio of their respective diameters inversely proportional to the ratio of their respective ifts for the urpose described.

2. In com ination a radiator, a valve cas-' ing, a hand operated steam admission valve therein, a cut-off valve therein for controlling the outflow therefrom, a thermostatic tube within the radiator, a yielding connection between the cut-ofi' valve and the thermostatic tube, said tube having a screw thread on its opposite end, a threaded sleeve engaging therewith and carried by the radiator, and means for rotating said sleeve for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK CHARLES PULSFORD.

Witnesses:

WALTER W. BALL, F. H001). 

